Sand box and playhouse



R. E. WHITESIDE SAND Box AND PLAYHOUSE Feb. 9 1926.

Filed August 28, 1924 Patented Feb. 9, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT E.' WHITESIDE, 0] LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR '10 HENRY mnnrnnnr, or os anennns, cxmronu ra.

SAND BOX AND PLAYHOUSE.

Application filed August 28, 1924. Serial No. 784,811.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT E. Wnrrnsmn, a citizen of the United States, resid ng at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Sand Boxes and Playhouses, of which the followlng 1s a specification.

My present invention is an improved sand box and playhouse; and it 18 81. prlmary object of my invention to provide a safe and attractive lace for children to play. To this end, prefer to provide a portable structure which may comprise a roof or canopy and is adapted to be placed upon lawn, without detriment thereto.

It is a further object of my 1nvent1on to provide an ornamental structure of the gen eral character indicated, under which adults, as well as children, may find shelter and rest. 1

It is a further object of my invention to provide a place where sand may be suitably confined and children may play in the same without undue exposure to sun, or ram, or wind.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a portable playhouse which shall have distinct decorat ve value.

It is a further object of my invention to provide means for permitting the sand of a sand pile to be kept sanitary; and to this end, I prefer to provide a structure ermitting the sand to be ventilated or was ed.

It is a further object of my invention to provide means whereby the sand of a sand pile or sand box may be suitably heated, either to permit the use thereof durlng cold .weather or to permit the sterilization of the sand by a higher temperature.

It is a special object of my invention to provide means whereby the pleasure and educational uses of a sand pile may be enjoyed without detriment to lawns; and, to

this end, I prefer to provide means whereby a-sand box is spaced from the ground, and

also meansto obviate the scattering of sand from the sand box or sand pile.

It is a further object of my invention to rovide a knock-down and portable playhouse; and I prefer to provide such a playhouse with suitable seats.

It is a further object of invention to provide a playhouse comprising a flanged box which may serve both as a floor and as a container for sand, a canopy supported by uplrights secured to said box, andseats, the w ole being adapted either to be moved as a unit or to be separated and assembled in compact form for transport in a knockdown position.

It is believed that the general character of my invention will be readily understood the sand box which is comprised in my device.

Fig. 3 is a detail View of one corner of my sand box, taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a detail view on the line 44 of Fig. 1, this view being intended to show a preferred form of connection between the roof of my playhouse and the u ri hts b which this roof may be supporte d. g y

Fig. 5 is a detail on the line 55 of Fig. 2, this View showing a preferred form of ventilator which may be employed in the bottom and sides of my sand box.

Referring in detail to the form shown in the drawing B is a sand box, which may be provided with the flanges F, and with the seats S. It will be understood that my preferred form of sand box, with or without the adjuncts referred to, may be regarded as a complete article of commerce; but I prefer to provide this sand box with a roof or canopy C, which is preferably of a somewhat special construction, and may be so supporte by the uprights U as to permit the entire structure either to be trans ported as a unit, or to be disassembled for transporting in more compact form.

My sandbox proper maybe formed of bottom elements 1 and side elements-2 which may be secured together in any suitable way, as by the use of cleats, or by the use of transverse rods 3; and at the top of the sides of the box I prefer to provide the men tioned flanges or side extensions F, which may be rounded at the corners and may be strengthened by the use of the brackets 4;. It is desirable that the mentioned flanges shall be wide enough to obviate the scattering 1 whose attendance may be desired for of sand upon the ground, and also strong enough to make it safe for the smaller children to seat themselves thereon during their lay.

p For the use of the larger children, or for the use of adults who may. wish to enjoy the shade or shelter of the playhouse, or

poses of supervision, I prefer to provide the mentioned seats S, consisting essentially of the uprights 5, the seat elements 6, and they backs 7 the slats 8 being provided upon the seat and back, in such manner as to constitute chairs which are removable units, adapted to be held in place by means such as the straps 9, secured to the flanges F, or by means of the bolts or pins 10, or both.

When the structure referred to is set in a position where it is intended to be permanent, or where it must withstand rough usage, additional securing means such as the bolts 11 may optionally be employed.

In order to preserve the sand which may be confined within the box B in a sanitary condition, I prefer to provide ventilating apertures, which -may advantageously be located in the bottom, and optionally also in the sides, of the sand box proper. These ventilating apertures may be of any desired character, but I prefer to provide circular openings, within which I may fit removable units such as the cylindrical elements 12', provided with foraminous material such as the screens 13. The cylindrical elements may be simply fitted in place or they may be slightly deformed, as shown at 14, in

' order to prevent their falling out when the playhouse shall be disassembled for trans port. It will be understood that the apertures referred to may serve not only for purposes of ventilation, but they may be used also to permit the escape of rain water, in

case the sand box is left unprotected, or they may serve to facilitate the washing and draining of the sand, as may be necessary to maintain it in sanitary condition. It will be obvious that for the latter purposes a germicidal solution, followed by a suitable rinsing, may be employed, and the expense of a renewal of the sand thereby obviated.

To heat the sand so that its use may be i enjoyed by children during chilly or inclement weather, or to heat it to a higher temperature for purposes of sterilization, any suitable heating means may be employed; and when it is intended that heating shall be effected by the use of fire,'it is obvious that the box B should be made of metal or other incombustible material. For ordinary purposes, it may, however, be advantageous to employ heating means which do not involve danger of fire, and, for this purpose, have shown diagrammatically an electrical heater 15 connected by a flexible cord 16, this heater being so placed that pur-' air preheated thereby will enter through the tainment for youngsters, may, in this second aspect of my invention, be regarded as a' mere base or ballasting element for a portable canopy, it being understood that the entire structure, regarded as a unit, constitutes what I have referred to as a playhouse.

In many situations, especially in yards which are unprovided with shade, and in.

which the digging of holes for supporting posts might be objectionable or forbidden, there is genuine need for portable means for supporting a temporary roof or canopy, which shall enable children or adults to en joy the open air without undue exposure to sun, or wind, or rain. For this purpose I may provide upon my sand box B any suitable means for the securing of uprights, such as the posts U, adapted to secure a roof C. In the present instance, the mentioned uprights are removably secured by the U-bolts 17; and similar means 18 are shown as removably securing the roof C to the mentioned uprights.

Depending upon the desired extent of the roof 0, which preferably has a horizontal extent suflicient to protect the seats S, with which the roof may be connected by any suitable means such as the straps 18, and depending also upon the conditions to which it may be exposed, this roof may be of any desired form; but when it is to be used in a mild climate, or when it is desired to mini mize the weight of the entire organization, I find it advantageous to construct this roof of two end boards 19, sawed to a suitable shape and optionally provided with the decorative terminal portions 20, these boards being shown as connected by longitudinal strips 21, one of which may be centrally placed, to constitute a ridge, and fitted within suitable notches in the top of the uprights U, these uprights being advantageously cut away to provide for the fitting of the boards 19 thereagainst, in the manner best shown in Fig. 4. Over the'strips 21 I may extend any suitable light roofing material, and, for

ordinary purposes, I prefer to employ a covering of canvas 22, which may extend downward at the sides in the 'form of an awning 23, the ends of my playhouse being preferably left open, except in inclement weather, to permit a free circulation of air.

In the form shown, it will be noticed that the uprights 5 of my chairs S extend a substantial distance below the bottom of the box B; and the uprights U are also-adapted p be understoo dropped to any suitable distance before they to be extended to any desired distance therebelow. By this, construction I am able to employ the mentioned uprights 5, or the lower ends of the uprights as supporting means by which my -sand box, may bekept at a suitable distance from the ground,

in order to provide ventilation thereunder, and in order to 'preventthe smothering of the grass of an lawn. It will, moreover,

d that the uprights U may be are clamped to the ends of the box B, in order to compensate for inequalities in the surface of the ground; and, that when the groundis very uneven, means such as the blocks 24 maybe additionall employed to support the box B at a uni orm or any suitable level. When the sand box is supported in the manner just referred to, it

, ,erecte will be understood that the seats S, instead of supporting the sandbox, are, in turn, supported therefrom.

It will be obvious that while I have described a playhouse which constitutes a unitarg' organization adapted either to' be as a permanent structure or to be moved as an entirety from place to place, my playhouse is also so constructed that, the seats being removably connected to the box, and the uprights being removably connected to both t e box and the roof, the entire playhousemay be knocked down for con-.

, venient storage or transport. It will also be understood that various features of my device are capable of independent use, and that various modifications may be made therein, without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as the same is indicated above and in the following claims.

What I claim is: A

1. A playhouse comprisi a box adapted to hold sand, .21.. eripheral ange flush with the top of said I x, oppositely disposed uprights extending through 0 enings in said flange and engaging the 'si es of said box,

means for securing said uprights to said box and a, canopy extending over said box and supported on said uprights.

2. A layhouse com rising a substantiall square-s aped box a apted to hold san saidbox including end walls and side walls having lateral extensions flush with their upper end,\ uprights extending through openings in the lateral extensions on the end wall and engaging the ends of said box,

.said uprights adapted to be clamped to said box by U-bolts, seats removablyssecured to 1 the side walls of said box, said uprights adapted to hold said box above the ground,

ing said openings, a peripheral flange flush.

with the tog ofsaid box, a pair of uprights extending t rough openings in said peripheral flange U-bolt clam s ada ted to enga said upri lits and hol said box above t e surface 0 the ground, oppositely disposed seats mounted on the sides of said box betweenopenings in said peripheral flange "and'an electric heating element secured to the bottom of said box.

, In testimony'whereof I have signed my name to this s ecification.

- R BERT E. 

